The Color Purple

There are many obvious similarities between the classic novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Not only do the main characters embark on similar journeys towards self-actuality, but the structures of the novels are similar as well. First and foremost, both of the protagonists are African American women who have no sense of self. Both Janie (TEWWG) and Celie (TCP) are forced into marriage at young age. Because of the arranged marriages, both relationships are loveless. Both characters were abuses, physically and emotionally. Janie’s second husband, whom she thinks is somewhat of the “perfect man” begins to yell and hit her when she doesn’t do what she’s told or talks back to him. For example, when Janie doesn’t serve a customer at her husband’s store, Jody tells her not to “stand dere rollin’ yo’ pop eyes at me wid yo’ rump hangin’ nearly at yo’ knees!” (78) Starting at a young age, Celie is continuously raped by her stepfather, and ends up giving birth to two of his children, who Celie believes were killed by him. When Pa is trying to convince Mr. to marry Celie, he openly says in front of her that she’s ugly and that she’s “spoiled.” (9) When Celie marries Mr. he keeps a mistress in the house and continues to treat her as an object. Both women have a very hard time standing up for themselves.

Despite their hardships, both women eventually find their true. Janie finds true love with her third husband, Tea Cake. Janie can finally be herself with him and enjoys his company. Celie finds companionship in a sultry lounge-singer named Shug. At first, the two don’t get along because Shug is sleeping with Mr. However, eventually the two become lovers. Shug empowers Celie and teaches her life lessons about men and God. Both women find senses of self-empowerment by the end of the novel. Both women are able to recognize and appreciate the good things in life and realize that no one can control their lives accept themselves. At the end of “Theie Eyes Were Watching God”, Janie comments that she has been to the horizon and back and she was finally at peace. (191) At the end of The Color Purple, although Celie is now old, she claims she feels younger than ever. (295)

Structurally, both novels are set up the same. Even though The Color Purple is written in the form of letters, both novels tell a story and are written over a long period of time. The dialects of both novels also represent the vernacular tradition native to African American people at the time.

All in all, both novels are classic tales of the hardships endured by African American women and their journeys towards self-independence. Most importantly, both novels will remain classics until the end of our time.

Works Cited

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Pocket Books, 1985

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Harper Perennial, 2006.